Patent Application
20110064254
This disclosure is generally directed to audio systems. More specifically, this disclosure is directed to a case for providing improved audio performance in portable game consoles and other devices.
Portable game consoles, such as NINTENDO DS and SONY PSP devices, are extremely popular. Other portable devices that produce audible sounds, such as audio and video players and mobile telephones, are also extremely popular. The abilities of these devices are continuously improving. For instance, some portable devices are now able to play high-definition video files. Unfortunately, these portable devices often have audio systems with poor audio quality and sound field orientation. This is typically due to the limited physical size of the devices, which can prevent bigger speakers and/or a larger number of speakers from being used to provide better audio quality and sound field orientation. This is also often due to power requirements since, as portable devices, the need to minimize power consumption to prolong the time between recharging is very important.
Since portable devices are by definition small due to their portability, it is often a challenge to output enough audio energy to be impressive to a user. Potential solutions for providing higher audio quality can include increasing the size of a portable device's speakers. However, this runs counter to the size and limited energy capabilities of the portable device's battery.
For a more complete understanding of this disclosure and its features, reference is now made to the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
In accordance with this disclosure, a set of speakers (referred to as a “speaker array”) is incorporated into a case for a portable game console, an audio or video player, or another portable device. An audio amplifier, digital signal processor (DSP), or other component (possibly also incorporated into the case) can implement beam forming technology or other technology to produce desired audio effects, such as desired spatial effects or sound field enhancements. This may allow the speaker array to provide better audio quality with richer and broader sound fields. Moreover, the case can provide other functions, such as protection of the portable device, allowing multiple functions to be integrated in the case. Further, the time required to design and bring to market a new portable device is typically several years, meaning it is often difficult to incorporate speaker array improvements into the devices themselves. However, cases can be quickly designed and rapidly brought into the marketplace. Not only that, cases can be flexibly designed and quickly changed to meet evolving industry design requirements. In addition, cases can be customized for particular content or types of content, such as for a game or type of game being played. This may allow the audio effects produced by a case to be customized, or it may allow multiple cases to be used with a particular portable device in order to provide different audio effects.
The case 104 is configured to be removably or permanently attached to the portable device 102. For instance, the case 104 may be configured to receive and retain the portable device 102 within the case 104. In this example, the case 104 includes projections 105 that wrap around the sides of the portable device 102, thereby attaching the case 104 to the portable device 102. Note, however, that any suitable mechanism(s) can be used to attach the case 104 to the portable device 102.
The case 104 may also include various openings that provide a user with access to buttons or other input mechanisms on the portable device 102. Alternatively, the case 104 could include buttons, button covers, or other structures that can be depressed by the user, where those structures then depress buttons or other input mechanisms on the portable device 102. The case 104 can further include an opening or have at least a portion formed from substantially transparent material(s), which allows a user to view the screen of the portable device 102.
Note that the actual structural configuration of the case 104 shown in
As shown in
As described below, the audio amplifier 106 can also implement beam forming or other enhancements to form acoustic beams that provide one or more desired audio effects. This can be done, for example, by converting the audio output of the portable device 102 into phase-modified and amplitude-modified signals. In this way, the audio sounds produced by the case 104 have a higher audio quality, possibly with richer and broader sound fields.
The audio amplifier 106 includes any suitable structure for amplifying audio signals. As a particular example, the audio amplifier 106 could represent a Class AB, B, D, G, or H amplifier. The audio amplifier 106 could also include any suitable structure for performing beam forming, sound field enhancements, or other enhancements. Note, however, that the beam forming or other enhancements could be performed external to the audio amplifier 106, such as by a digital signal processor coupled to the audio amplifier 106.
In this example, the speaker array 108 includes eight speakers arranged in a row along one side running the length of the case 104. This is for illustration only. The speaker array 108 includes any suitable set of speakers, such as a set of six or eight speakers. The speakers in the speaker array 108 may also have any suitable configuration or positioning with respect to one another. Any suitable type(s) of speakers could be used in the speaker array 108, such as ceramic or moving coil type speakers. Note that the speaker array 108 could be formed from individual speakers separated from each other (such as at a 1 cm spacing), one or more speaker array modules each containing multiple speakers, a ceramic surface, or any other suitable structure(s). Each speaker in the speaker array 108 could have any suitable frequency response or other characteristics, and different types of speakers could be used in the speaker array 108.
In addition, the case 204 here includes two portions 214a-214b that are rotatably attached to one another by hinges 216 located along the top of a portable device 102. A bottom portion 214a of the case 204 covers the bottom side of the portable device 102, and a top portion 214b of the case 204 includes the speaker array 208 and covers the top side of the portable device 102. Note, however, that the use of hinges 216 is not required, and a case could have multiple portions (such as top and bottom portions) that are attached to one another or otherwise associated with one another in any suitable manner using any suitable mechanism.
Depending on the implementation, an audio amplifier, digital signal processor, or other circuitry could reside in the bottom portion 214a of the case 204 so that they are not visible to the user when using the portable device 102. Alternatively, these components could be located in the top portion 214a of the case 204 and possibly hidden by opaque portions of the case 204, or those components could be visible to the user when using the portable device 102. The bottom portion 214a of the case 204 and possibly part of the top portion 214b of the case 204 need not be formed from a transparent material.
With the use of the speaker array 108 and the beam forming or other audio effects produced by the audio amplifier 106 or other component(s), the sounds heard by the user can appear to originate at locations 302-304 other than from the portable device 102 as shown in
Using this approach, a user may experience richer and fuller sound fields, which can increase the enjoyment experienced by the user. Moreover, as described above, multiple cases could be used to provide different audio effects, or a single reprogrammable case could be used to provide different audio effects. The different effects could be based on the content or type of content being presented by the portable device 102.
While
The case 400 also includes an audio amplifier 406 and a speaker array 408. The audio amplifier 406 could represent a Class AB, B, D, G, or H amplifier, such as an amplifier from the BOOMER family of amplifiers from NATIONAL SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION. The speaker array 408 could include any number and type(s) of speakers, such as at least two speakers on a left side of the speaker array 408 and at least two speakers on a right side of the speaker array 408.
In this example, the audio amplifier 406 includes at least one filter 410, which can be used to filter audio data in order to implement beam forming or other sound enhancement techniques to produce one or more desired audio effects. For example, the filter 410 could operate using filter coefficients, which can be set or modified to provide the desired audio effects. Specific examples of this particular functionality are provided in U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/275,748 and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/874,502 filed on Sept. 2, 2010 (both of which are hereby incorporated by reference). However, any other or additional beam forming, sound field enhancement, or other techniques for producing one or more desired audio effects could be implemented by the audio amplifier 406.
While a single audio amplifier 406 with a single filter 410 is shown in
An interface 412 provides audio signals to the audio amplifier 406. For example, the interface 412 could represent a USB interface, a stereo “audio out” jack, or other interface that can be physically coupled to a portable device and that provides audio signals. The interface 412 could also represent a wireless interface that can wirelessly receive audio data from a portable device, which may be useful when the portable device includes a wireless local area network transceiver or other wireless transmitter or transceiver. The audio data received by the interface 412 could have any suitable form, such as analog audio signals or digital streams (such as IIS, AC97, or other data). The interface 412 includes any suitable structure for receiving audio data. While a single interface is shown in
A power supply 414 may optionally be included in the case 400. The power supply 414 can provide operating power to other components of the case 400, such as the audio amplifier 406. The power supply 414 could represent any suitable source of operating power, such as a battery, fuel cell, solar cell, or combination thereof. The power supply 414 could also optionally be coupled to the interface 412 to receive power from the portable device, in which case the power supply 414 could be recharged by the portable device. As a particular example, the power supply 414 could be coupled to the recharging port of the portable device. The power supply 414 could further receive power wirelessly using a wireless power transfer mechanism, such as inductive and/or resonant power transfer. As a particular example, a battery could have an attached coil used to wirelessly receive power and recharge the battery. In still other embodiments, the components of the case 400 are powered directly by the portable device, and no internal power supply 414 is needed. In general, any suitable source(s) of power could be used with the case 400.
As shown in
As noted above, different spatial effects or other audio effects could be provided depending on the content or type of content being presented on the portable device (such as the game or type of game being played). Also, as noted above, different cases could be used to provide different audio effects. It is also possible for the portable device to modify the operations performed by the case (or the operations it performs) to provide the desired audio effects. For example, if the portable device detects the presence of the case, the portable device could determine or otherwise obtain the filter coefficients to be used by the filter(s) 410 or the programming to be used by the digital signal processor 505. The portable device could then provide those coefficients or programming to the case, effectively modifying the audio effects produced by the case. As a particular example, the filter coefficients or programming could be obtained from an optical disc, game cartridge, or other storage medium on which a game or other content is stored. This may allow the portable device to modify the operation of the case whenever the portable device accesses a new storage medium.
In particular embodiments, a content unit could be provided as shown in
The portable device could also retrieve the filter coefficients or DSP programming in other ways, such as by accessing a remote server and retrieving the data over a network. Note that this represents only some examples of how different audio effects can be obtained using a portable device, and other approaches could also be used.
In general, the cases shown above can implement one or more algorithms (either in hardware, software, firmware, or combination thereof) for providing one or more desired audio effects. As an example, the algorithms could implement beam forming to enable audio energy to be steered or focused to desired location(s). In particular, the algorithms could be applied to audio signals in order to achieve at least two features: audio energy is focused in one or more beams that enable the user to receive an optimal amount of audio energy, and spatial effects are created that enable the perception of directional change of the audio content. This enables not only the concentration of audio energy for the user but also the creation of perceived audio positioning. In fact, the optimization of audio energy for the user could enable the highest energy efficiency from the portable device's power supply system. Different audio effects could be achieved using different cases, speaker array designs, filter coefficients, or other techniques.
The algorithms could also perform any desired additional functions. As a specific example, the algorithms could modify filter coefficients or perform other actions to “pre-compensate” for speaker distortions. This may be useful when used with ceramic speakers or other speakers that suffer from known distortions or other problems.
While
In some embodiments, various functions described above are implemented or supported by a computer program that is formed from computer readable program code and that is embodied in a computer readable medium. The phrase “computer readable program code” includes any type of computer code, including source code, object code, and executable code. The phrase “computer readable medium” includes any type of medium capable of being accessed by a computer, such as read only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), a hard disk drive, a compact disc (CD), a digital video disc (DVD), or any other type of memory.
It may be advantageous to set forth definitions of certain words and phrases that have been used within this patent document. The term “couple” and its derivatives refer to any direct or indirect communication between two or more components, whether or not those components are in physical contact with one another. The terms “include” and “comprise,” as well as derivatives thereof, mean inclusion without limitation. The term “or” is inclusive, meaning and/or. The phrases “associated with” and “associated therewith,” as well as derivatives thereof, may mean to include, be included within, interconnect with, contain, be contained within, connect to or with, couple to or with, be communicable with, cooperate with, interleave, juxtapose, be proximate to, be bound to or with, have, have a property of, have a relationship to or with, or the like.
While this disclosure has described certain embodiments and generally associated methods, alterations and permutations of these embodiments and methods will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the above description of example embodiments does not define or constrain this invention. Other changes, substitutions, and alterations are also possible without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention as defined by the following claims.
This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/276,350 filed on Sept. 11, 2009, which is hereby incorporated by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61276350 | Sep 2009 | US |
